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Turn down a final-round candidate kindly and safely
Practice: Getting the tone right. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're telling a final-round candidate she didn't get the job. Write it in under 80 words, plain text, with the decision in the first sentence after the greeting, one specific genuine thank-you, and the talent-pool offer only as your notes allow. Give no reasons for the decision and nothing about other candidates; if she asks for feedback later, that goes through HR.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Burying the decision. The AI opens with several sentences of thanks, so the news lands late. Try: Add: "First sentence after hello: we've decided not to move forward."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each part instead: "4 sentences, each under 16 words."
- Generic thanks. The AI writes 'thank you for your interest', which feels like a form letter after 4 rounds. Try: Add: "Thank her for the churn-risk case presentation specifically."
- Explaining the decision. To be kind, the AI gives reasons, which can create risk and hurt more. Try: Add: "No reasons, no panel feedback, nothing about other candidates."
- Formatting the email. The AI adds bold or bullet points to a personal note. Try: Add: "Plain text, one short paragraph."
What a strong prompt includes
- Puts the decision first
- Asks for specific thanks
- Forbids reasons
- Sets the tone
- Sets a word limit
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